Bill That Would Merge Education And Workforce Into Cabinet Level Mega-Agency On Hold

Rep. Lou Blessing III (R-Cincinnati) looks on as Rep. Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin) talks about House Bill 512, which would merge K-12, higher ed and workforce development together to create the Department of Learning and Achievement in February.

The bill would bring the departments of Education, Higher Education and the Governor's Office of Workforce Transformation into one agency essentially controlled by the governor. Rep. Lou Blessing III (R-Cincinnati) chairs the committee looking at the bill, and said he’s planning no more hearings on it in its current form. “After we have had four or five hearings, and heard quite a bit of opponent testimony, we figured it was probably best to pump the brakes on this and go back to the drawing board,” Blessing said.

Rep. Bill Reinecke (R-Tiffin) is the sponsor, and has said a substitute measure is in the works. The plan is opposed by the state school board, public school organizations, teachers’ unions and homeschool groups.

The state school board has voted to oppose a controversial bill that would give the governor more authority over a new education and workforce agency. And there are questions about the relationship the state’s education leader has with Gov. John Kasich.

House Republicans are defending the proposal that would merge several departments into one large education agency which would report directly to the governor. Elected local school boards are sounding off on how it would change the state board of education.

The Statehouse was packed with people to testify against a proposed overhaul to the education system. The plan would hand the reins of the education department over to the governor. The latest committee hearing attracted opponents from several angles.

The bill to overhaul the state’s education system and hand more control over to the governor’s office is getting its first committee hearing. Opponents say this measure strips away local control and one senator sees similarities to another controversial bill from a few years ago.